Improvement in toy spring-guns



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'UNITED STATES@ PATENT Orrlon.

PHILIP R. VOORHEES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTBICT OF COLUMBIA.'

IMPROVEMENT INTCV SPRING-GUNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,1812, dated October 11, 1875 application tiled July 31, 1975.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP R. VooRHnEs, of Washington, in the District ot' Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Breech- Loading Spring-Guns, of which the following is a specification The object of this invention is to provide an efficient substitute for the ordinary cross-bow, which, while preserving all the projectile force ot' such bow, shall be neater in appearance and more durable, and whose spring shall save the spa-ce required for the bow, by occupying a part ot' the exterior barrel of the gun parallel to its axis.

The invention consists of an outer and an inner barrel ot any thin or light metal or other cheap material, (theinner barrel, either 1novable or stationary, and containing within it the projectile,) and the necessary springs and parts for operating said inner barrel, and discharging the projectile.

The inner barrel may be operated by either a coiled spring ot' wire of any suitable metal, or by a tube of india-rubber, or other similar elastic material. It' of wire its reaction after either compression or elongation will discharge the projectile. lf ot india-rubber its' reaction, after elongation or stretching, will discharge the projectile. These springs may be made'ot' great strength, if desired, and thus a breechloading spring-gun suitable for either indoor or outdoor sport may be provided, which, while being of cheap construction, will have an accurate range of projectile for-a considerable distance, and may be used in acquiring accuracy of aim before practice with tire-arms. It can also be used with effect for exterminating birds destructive to gardens.

In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure l shows the method of attaching a rubber spring to the barrels, and Fig. 4 the method ot attaching a coiled metal spring to the barrels. Fig. 2 shows the barrels mounted upon the stock, and the trigger and trigger-guard constituting the lock. Fig. 3 is a plan of the outer barrel. Fig. 5 is a plan of outer plate of lock and trigger guard. This plate is slotted, and the trigger-guard slides in this slot. Fig. 6 is a sectional view, showing the inner barrel C stationary.

A is the stock of the gun; B, the outer barrel; O, the inner barrel. .D is a hollovir plug, its central portion of larger diameter than its ends. This central portion is tapped into the end of the outer barrel B, and upon its outer or larger end is tapped the end ot' the outer barrel B2. Thus the two -outer barrels are united to forni one barrel of two dii'erent diameters. To the inner or smaller end of plug D is secured, by a wire binding, or in any snit able manner, one end ot' a rubber tube. E, through which and the plug D passes theV inner barrel C, to the rear end ot' which is fastened the rear end ot' the rubber tube E, so that when the inner barrel C is retracted for the Apurpose of discharging a projectile, the rubber tube is stretched, and by its reaction, when the trigger is pulled, throws forward the inner barrel, and thereby discharges therefrom the projectile. A spiral spring may be substituted for the rubber tube, as seen in Fig..4. In this case a convenient mode of construction is to divide the inner barrel O, and couple it by a collar, O2. The spiral spring E2 is interposed between this collar, and an inner hollow cylinder, w, forming a .continuation of the breech pin or plug F. This cylinder to may be of either wood or metal, as may also be the breech-pin, though no breech-pin is absolutely required. The stock ot' the gun may serve fully that purpose. The oriiice O for loading the gun at the breech may be either circular or slotted and will pass through either the cylinder w or breech-pin F. This oritice may be covered by the spring-slide P, forming a rear sight, which, until pressed forward by the hand, keeps the orifice O closed.' O2 is an orifice made in the top of the breech of the inner barrel C, to receive the projectile. This orifice, like that in the outer barrel B, may be either circular or slotted. I do not, however, contine myself to inserting the projectile through the top oi' the outer barrel B only. 1f desired, the inner barrel O may project through the lbreech of the barrel B, so as to be loaded in rear ot' said breech. The spring t, inserted in the oritice O2, is depressed when the barrel C is drawn back by the inclined slot t2 in the breech-block F, or cylinder w.. The spring will then hold the project-ile in the barrel until the gun is discharged. To the rear end of the inner barrel is attached the pin or catch H. This pin may either be attached to the barrel C through the sleeve d,surrounding said barrel, and t0 which the rubber spring is attached, or it may he attached to the barrel by passing through it into a plug, G, inserted in its rear end, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The operations of loading and discharging this gun are as follows: In order to load it, the trigger-guard J is pushed forward until the trigger K is latched by its end 'u to the pin H of the inner barrel C, when the guard is drawn back until the trigger is latched by its end c2 to the stop m. The sight-piece P is then pushedforward, and the projectile inserted through the orifices O and O2, or the projectile, if an arrow, may be inserted in the muzzle. The gun is now loaded and cocked, and by pulling the trigger it is discharged, leaving the trigger and its guard held fast by the stop m, to release it from which the trigger must be pushed forward when the guard can be ad- Y vanced for cooking and loading the gun, as before.

tral pin, which suspends it between the slottedl The trigger is held in position by a censliding block N, to the ends of which block the trigger-guard is attached by either screws or rivets. At the ends of this block are also secured, under the ends of the trigger o c2, the springs s s2. These springskeep the trigger balanced, and retain the catches in contact with the pin H and the stop m, as occasion may require. The shape of the trigger-guard J Amay be varied to suit the taste; the only requisite being that its ends should be of a convenient shape for pushing it forward and drawing it back. It will be observed that the depths of the catches on the ends of the trigger K are sufficient to allow of the necessary V lost motion in the forward end of the trigger,

while. the rear end is engaging with the stop m, so that the catch V shall still retain hold ofthe pin H, while the catch V2 is engaging with the stop m. The letters g g represent a band or ring of rubber surrounding the end ot' the plug D, and extending beyond its ends.

rlhe object of this ring is to receive the blow.

ot' the collar C2, and thereby to diminish the shock of the spring, and also to protect both the collar and the plug from the effects of a forcible impact. When the gun is discharged the inner barrel should not protrude beyond the muzzle of the outer barrel. If the barrel C be made stationary, then its forward end is either tapped or soldered into the plug D, as seen in Fig. 6, and its rea-r end is centered i-n the breech-block, and slotted either at bottom or sides Yto allow for tlie'tra'verse of a yoke or offset, p, on the collar d, which 0E- set, instead ot' the rear end ofthe barrel C, will then impinge upon the projectile in discharging the gun. A

Having thus fully described this spring-gun as of'my invention, I claiml. The combination of the outer and inner ybarrels B G, provided, respectively, with the orices O O2, with an interposed annular spring, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, for the purposes set forth. I

2. The vibrating trigger K. provided with the end catches V V2, in the manner substantiallyT as described, for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the guard J with the sliding block N, provided with springs s s2, one or both, the trigger K, provided with catches c v2, and the pins or stops H and m, all in the manner substantially' as described, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereofl I hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP R. VOORHEES.

Witnesses: SAML. M. BARTON, O. F. BROWN. 

